It was a joyous homecoming for a beloved member of the Lower East Side community. Allan Michael Marrero was finally released after 150 days in ICE custody.
"I want to thank my husband Matthew for not allowing me to give up on myself - thank you, I love you," Marrero said.
The celebration at Middle Church showcased the small army of supporters who fought tirelessly for Marrero's freedom.
He thanked his lawyer, Alex Rizio, for helping to bring him home.
"Allan is a man with absolutely no criminal history," said Rizio, an attorney from Make the Road New York.
Among the supporters were local religious and elected leaders.
"We've been pleased to get more than 30 people released, along with Allan," said Congressman Dan Goldman.
Marrero's husband was also among the supporters.
"Love brought him home, but justice still has work to do," Matthew Marrero said.
The painful saga began at 26 Federal Plaza, back in November of 2025, when Allan Michael Marrero and his husband entered for a routine green card hearing.
It was there that the couple learned a removal order had been issued for Allan in 2022, in a piece of mail he missed while between addresses.
The Department of Homeland Security said the removal order was because he had overstayed a tourist visa nearly a decade prior. But Allan, who is from the Cayman Islands, had begun his well-documented asylum process before his visa expired.
He spent his almost half-year in ICE custody being moved between detention centers.
"I was transferred from the federal building in New York City to New Jersey. To New Jersey to Arizona. To Texas to Florida. Alligator Alcatraz to Natchez, Mississippi. I was terrified every night," Allan Michael Marrero said.
He described harrowing conditions.
"The nightly transfers took a physical toll," he said. "This is where they would chain you by your ankles, connected to your waist, connected to your wrists for up to eight hours at a time."
Allan and Matthew are now thrilled to be reunited.
"He's the love of my life," Matthew Marrero said.
But Allan is still adjusting to freedom
"Sometimes, I find myself just sitting quietly because I'm so used to it, not wanting to upset the guards," he said.
He's vowing to continue to fight for those still in ICE custody.
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